byu college application essay examples

How to Write a Compelling BYU Application Essay: Tips from Successful Applicants

Applying to Brigham Young University (BYU) can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to writing the application essay. This essay is a crucial component of your application, providing the admissions committee with a glimpse into your personality, experiences, and aspirations. In this article, we will explore the key elements of a compelling BYU application essay, how to make your essay stand out, common mistakes to avoid, what to do before writing your essay, and how to conclude your essay effectively.

<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 12px 0;">What are the key elements of a compelling BYU application essay?</h2>The key elements of a compelling Brigham Young University (BYU) application essay include a clear understanding of the prompt, a personal narrative, a demonstration of your values and beliefs, and a showcase of your writing skills. The essay should be authentic and reflective, providing the admissions committee with a glimpse into your personality, experiences, and aspirations. It's crucial to answer the prompt fully and directly, ensuring that every part of the question is addressed. Your personal narrative should be engaging and unique, highlighting experiences or events that have shaped your character and values. The essay should also demonstrate your values and beliefs, aligning with BYU's mission and values. Lastly, your writing skills should be evident in your essay, showcasing your ability to communicate effectively and persuasively.

<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 12px 0;">How can I make my BYU application essay stand out?</h2>To make your BYU application essay stand out, focus on showcasing your unique experiences, perspectives, and aspirations. Avoid generic statements and clichés, instead opting for specific anecdotes and examples that highlight your individuality. Show, don't tell - use vivid, descriptive language to paint a picture of your experiences and emotions. Additionally, align your values and goals with those of BYU, demonstrating your fit with the university's culture and mission. Lastly, proofread your essay meticulously to ensure it is free of grammatical errors and typos, as these can detract from the overall quality of your essay.

<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 12px 0;">What are some common mistakes to avoid in a BYU application essay?</h2>Common mistakes to avoid in a BYU application essay include not fully addressing the prompt, being too generic or clichéd, failing to showcase your individuality, and submitting an essay with grammatical errors or typos. It's crucial to read the prompt carefully and ensure your essay fully answers the question. Avoid generic statements and clichés, instead opting for specific, personal anecdotes and examples. Your essay should showcase your unique experiences, perspectives, and aspirations, demonstrating your fit with BYU's culture and mission. Lastly, proofread your essay meticulously to ensure it is free of errors, as these can detract from the overall quality of your essay.

<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 12px 0;">What should I do before writing my BYU application essay?</h2>Before writing your BYU application essay, it's important to thoroughly research the university and understand its mission and values. This will help you align your essay with BYU's culture and demonstrate your fit with the university. Additionally, brainstorm potential essay topics, focusing on experiences or events that have significantly shaped your character and values. Create an outline for your essay, ensuring it has a clear structure and flow. Lastly, review successful BYU application essays to understand what works and what doesn't.

<h2 style="font-weight: bold; margin: 12px 0;">How should I conclude my BYU application essay?</h2>Your BYU application essay should conclude with a strong and memorable ending. This could be a powerful statement that encapsulates your main message, a reflection on your experiences and growth, or a clear articulation of your future goals and aspirations. The conclusion should tie together the main points of your essay, reinforcing your thesis and leaving the reader with a lasting impression. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion; instead, focus on summarizing and synthesizing the ideas presented in your essay.

In conclusion, writing a compelling BYU application essay requires a clear understanding of the prompt, a personal narrative, a demonstration of your values and beliefs, and strong writing skills. It's crucial to make your essay stand out by showcasing your unique experiences and perspectives, avoiding common mistakes, and concluding your essay with a strong and memorable ending. By following these tips, you can increase your chances of crafting a successful BYU application essay that resonates with the admissions committee and helps you stand out from the crowd.

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Byu vs louisville: comparing essay requirements and what admissions officers look for.

Brigham Young University (BYU) and the University of Louisville, two esteemed institutions, present unique opportunities for aspiring students. While both universities hold academic excellence in high regard, their approaches to admissions essays provide insights into their distinct values and priorities. Understanding these nuances can be instrumental for prospective students as they craft compelling narratives that resonate with each institution's admissions committee. Unveiling the Essence of BYU's Essay PromptsBYU's essay prompts often delve into a student's character, experiences, and alignment with the university's values. Rooted in its affiliation with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BYU seeks individuals committed to living by an honor code that emphasizes integrity, service, and personal growth. Applicants are encouraged to reflect on their values, experiences that have shaped their perspectives, and how they envision contributing to BYU's unique community. The admissions committee at BYU places significant emphasis on personal qualities such as leadership, service, and a strong moral compass. Deciphering the Nuances of Louisville's Essay QuestionsThe University of Louisville, a public research university, adopts a more holistic approach to admissions, considering a wide range of factors beyond academic achievements. Louisville's essay prompts often focus on a student's intellectual curiosity, personal growth, and potential to contribute to the university's diverse community. Applicants are encouraged to showcase their passions, experiences that have ignited their intellectual curiosity, and how they plan to engage with the university's resources and opportunities. Louisville's admissions officers look for evidence of critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and a commitment to academic excellence. Aligning Your Narrative with Institutional ValuesWhen crafting essays for BYU and Louisville, it is crucial to recognize the distinct values and priorities of each institution. BYU seeks students who embody the principles of the Honor Code, demonstrating integrity, service, and a commitment to personal growth. Louisville, on the other hand, values intellectual curiosity, diversity of thought, and a commitment to academic excellence. Tailoring your essays to reflect these values is paramount to crafting compelling narratives that resonate with each admissions committee. Showcasing Your Authentic SelfWhile it is essential to address the specific prompts and requirements of each university, it is equally important to let your authentic self shine through in your writing. Share your unique experiences, perspectives, and aspirations in a genuine and compelling manner. Admissions officers at both BYU and Louisville seek students who are passionate, engaged, and eager to contribute to their respective communities.BYU and the University of Louisville offer distinct academic and extracurricular opportunities, attracting a diverse range of students. Understanding the nuances of their essay requirements and the values each institution prioritizes is essential for crafting compelling narratives that showcase your strengths and aspirations. By aligning your experiences and goals with the specific context of each university, you can increase your chances of gaining admission to the institution that best fits your academic and personal pursuits.

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your BYU and Louisville College Application Essays

Applying to college can be a daunting process, and writing the application essay is often one of the most stressful parts. This essay is your chance to showcase your personality, experiences, and aspirations to the admissions committee. However, many students make common mistakes in their Brigham Young University (BYU) and University of Louisville college application essays that can hinder their chances of admission. This article will discuss five of these common mistakes and provide tips on how to avoid them. What are common mistakes to avoid in BYU and Louisville college application essays?Answer 1: One of the most common mistakes students make in their Brigham Young University (BYU) and University of Louisville college application essays is not answering the prompt directly. The essay prompt is designed to give the admissions committee insight into the applicant's personality, values, and goals. Ignoring the prompt or not answering it directly can lead to a lack of focus in the essay, making it difficult for the committee to understand the applicant's point of view. How can I make my BYU and Louisville college application essays stand out?Answer 2: To make your BYU and Louisville college application essays stand out, it's crucial to showcase your unique experiences, perspectives, and aspirations. Avoid generic statements and clichés, as they can make your essay sound uninspired and unoriginal. Instead, use specific examples and anecdotes to illustrate your points. Additionally, ensure your essay is well-structured, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion, and free of grammatical errors. Why is it important to avoid clichés in BYU and Louisville college application essays?Answer 3: Clichés should be avoided in BYU and Louisville college application essays because they can make your essay sound generic and unoriginal. Admissions committees read thousands of essays, and clichéd statements can make your essay blend in with the rest. Instead, strive to present your unique perspective and experiences. This will help your essay stand out and give the committee a better understanding of who you are as an individual. What is the impact of grammatical errors in BYU and Louisville college application essays?Answer 4: Grammatical errors in BYU and Louisville college application essays can have a significant negative impact. They can distract the reader and make your essay difficult to understand. More importantly, they can give the impression that you lack attention to detail or didn't put enough effort into your application. Therefore, it's crucial to proofread your essay multiple times and consider having others review it as well. How can I effectively answer the essay prompt in my BYU and Louisville college application?Answer 5: To effectively answer the essay prompt in your BYU and Louisville college application, it's important to first understand what the prompt is asking. Break it down into smaller parts if necessary and brainstorm ideas for each part. Then, create an outline to ensure your essay has a clear structure and directly addresses each aspect of the prompt. Use specific examples and anecdotes to support your points and make your essay more engaging.In conclusion, avoiding common mistakes in your BYU and Louisville college application essays can significantly increase your chances of admission. Remember to directly answer the essay prompt, avoid clichés, and ensure your essay is free of grammatical errors. Additionally, make your essay stand out by showcasing your unique experiences and perspectives. By following these tips, you can write a compelling and effective college application essay.

Mastering the Louisville Admissions Essay: Key Strategies for Standing Out

The Louisville admissions essay is a critical component of your application to the University of Louisville. It's your chance to showcase your personality, your goals, and your potential to contribute to the university community. But with thousands of applicants vying for a limited number of spots, how can you make your essay stand out? The following strategies can help you craft an essay that captures the attention of the admissions committee and increases your chances of acceptance. Understanding the Purpose of the EssayThe Louisville admissions essay is more than just a writing assignment. It's an opportunity for the admissions committee to get to know you beyond your grades and test scores. They want to understand your motivations, your values, and your vision for the future. By understanding the purpose of the essay, you can tailor your content to meet these expectations. Be authentic and sincere, and let your unique voice shine through. Choosing the Right TopicChoosing the right topic for your Louisville admissions essay is crucial. It should be something that you are passionate about, something that has shaped you as a person. It could be a personal experience, a significant achievement, or a challenge you've overcome. The topic should also align with the values and goals of the University of Louisville. Research the university's mission and values, and consider how your topic can demonstrate your alignment with these principles. Crafting a Compelling NarrativeA compelling narrative can make your Louisville admissions essay stand out. Start with a strong hook to grab the reader's attention, then build your story with clear, concise, and engaging language. Use vivid details and personal anecdotes to bring your story to life. Show, don't tell, your experiences and emotions. This will make your essay more engaging and memorable. Demonstrating Your PotentialThe Louisville admissions essay is your chance to demonstrate your potential to contribute to the university community. Highlight your skills, talents, and experiences that make you a strong candidate. Show how you can contribute to the university's academic and extracurricular activities. Discuss your future goals and how the University of Louisville can help you achieve them. This will show the admissions committee that you are not only a good fit for the university, but also that the university is a good fit for you. Proofreading and RevisingNever underestimate the power of proofreading and revising. Even the best writers make mistakes, and a single error can distract from your message. Proofread your Louisville admissions essay several times, checking for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Also, consider the flow and structure of your essay. Is your argument clear and logical? Does each paragraph contribute to your overall message? If not, revise your essay until it is.Mastering the Louisville admissions essay requires understanding its purpose, choosing the right topic, crafting a compelling narrative, demonstrating your potential, and proofreading and revising. By following these strategies, you can write an essay that stands out from the crowd and increases your chances of acceptance to the University of Louisville. Remember, the essay is your chance to show the admissions committee who you are beyond your grades and test scores. Make it count.

Crafting a Unique Personal Statement: Insights for BYU and Louisville Hopefuls

Crafting a compelling personal statement is a crucial step in the college application process, particularly for institutions like Brigham Young University (BYU) and the University of Louisville, which emphasize a holistic review of applicants. A well-written personal statement allows you to showcase your unique personality, experiences, and aspirations, providing a deeper understanding of who you are beyond your academic record. It's an opportunity to tell your story, highlight your strengths, and demonstrate your suitability for the chosen program or institution. What makes a personal statement unique?A unique personal statement is a compelling and authentic reflection of your individual journey, aspirations, and values. It goes beyond simply listing your accomplishments and instead delves into the experiences that have shaped you, the lessons you've learned, and the impact you hope to make. To stand out, your statement should showcase your distinct personality, passions, and perspectives. It should be written in your own voice, avoiding clichés and generic language. Instead of focusing solely on your academic achievements, highlight your personal growth, challenges you've overcome, and the values that drive you. By weaving together your experiences, aspirations, and unique perspective, you can craft a personal statement that truly captures your essence and resonates with the admissions committee. How do I write a personal statement for BYU?Crafting a personal statement for Brigham Young University (BYU) requires a deep understanding of the institution's values and mission. BYU emphasizes faith, family, and service, so your statement should reflect these principles. Start by reflecting on your personal faith journey and how it has influenced your life choices. Share experiences where you've demonstrated your commitment to service and community involvement. Highlight your desire to contribute to the BYU community and how your values align with the university's mission. Be authentic and genuine in your expression of faith, and avoid using religious jargon or clichés. Remember, BYU seeks students who are committed to living the principles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so your statement should demonstrate your alignment with these values. What are the key elements of a strong personal statement?A strong personal statement is a well-crafted narrative that effectively conveys your unique story, aspirations, and suitability for the program or institution. It should be engaging, well-structured, and free of grammatical errors. Key elements include a compelling introduction that grabs the reader's attention, a clear and concise thesis statement outlining your purpose, and a body that provides specific examples and anecdotes to support your claims. Your statement should demonstrate your self-awareness, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to personal growth. It should also highlight your skills, experiences, and qualities that make you a strong candidate. Finally, a strong conclusion should reiterate your key points and leave a lasting impression on the reader. How long should a personal statement be?The ideal length for a personal statement varies depending on the specific requirements of the institution or program. However, a general guideline is to aim for 500-700 words. This allows you to provide sufficient detail and depth without overwhelming the reader. It's important to follow the word count guidelines provided by the institution. If no specific word count is given, it's best to err on the side of brevity and focus on quality over quantity. Remember, the goal is to make a strong impression within the allotted space. What are some common mistakes to avoid in a personal statement?Common mistakes to avoid in a personal statement include generic language, clichés, and a lack of focus. Avoid using overused phrases or expressions that don't reflect your unique voice. Instead, use specific examples and anecdotes to illustrate your points. Ensure your statement has a clear purpose and stays focused on your goals and aspirations. Avoid rambling or including irrelevant information. Proofread carefully for grammatical errors and typos. Finally, avoid plagiarism and ensure your statement is entirely your own work. By avoiding these common pitfalls, you can create a personal statement that stands out and effectively showcases your strengths and potential.In conclusion, crafting a unique and effective personal statement requires careful planning, introspection, and a genuine desire to connect with the admissions committee. By focusing on your individual journey, highlighting your values and aspirations, and avoiding common pitfalls, you can create a statement that truly captures your essence and leaves a lasting impression. Remember, your personal statement is your chance to tell your story and demonstrate why you are the ideal candidate for the program or institution of your choice.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, what makes a strong byu essay.

Hi all, I'm a junior working on my college essay drafts, and I want to make my BYU application essay stand out. Can anyone share examples or tips on writing a great BYU essay? I'm struggling with the prompt and need some inspiration. Thanks a lot!

Hi there! It's fantastic that you're already working on your college essays. For a strong BYU essay, you'll want to focus on aligning your values and experiences with those of the institution. This means emphasizing your commitment to the LDS church, emphasizing your dedication to education and service, and showcasing your unique qualities.

Without knowing the specific prompt you're working on, it's hard to give tailored advice. However, here are some general tips:

1. Be sincere and authentic. Speak from your heart and share your personal experiences and feelings. Admissions officers can tell when a student is genuine.

2. Connect your experiences and values to BYU's mission and principles. Take some time to research the school and understand its culture and expectations; this will help you craft a more tailored essay.

3. Use anecdotes and examples to illustrate your points. Instead of simply listing your qualities or experiences, tell a story that showcases your values or experiences. This can make your essay more engaging and memorable.

4. Be mindful of your audience. Remember that BYU's admission readers are likely members of the LDS church. Be respectful and tactful in discussing your beliefs and experiences.

5. Edit and revise your essay multiple times. A polished essay will stand out among other applications, so take the time to make it the best it can be. Good luck!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Preparation Recommendations

Please remember that this is a list of recommendations, not requirements! All of our recommendations stem from the Aims of a BYU education which are: spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging, character building, leading to lifelong learning and service. We are looking for applicants who demonstrate in their application, that they value these same things.

BYU Specific Recommendations

• Follow the example of Jesus Christ by striving to keep his commandments and doing your best to live the standards of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• In order to increase your faith in Jesus Christ and His restored gospel, participate in and graduate from seminary when possible. After high school, attend institute of religion classes.
• AP/IB classes 
• Keep in mind that the grades and credit you earn will always be on your college transcript
• Honors classes
• Take the ACT/SAT if you feel that it will strengthen your application - we will use your highest composite score.* If you take one standardized test, and don't do well, we recommend taking the other. The tests are different, so you may do better on one than the other.
• Arts (Music, Art, Theater, Dance)
• Church (Any Denomination)
• Community (Military, Clubs, Student Government, Politics)
• Humanities (Language, Writing, Speech)
• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
• Plan to provide specific examples of how you have contributed to your community in meaningful ways as you write your application essays. 

*Most applicants will not be required to submit a standardized test score to be considered for admission to BYU through winter 2026. Applicants may choose to submit a test score if they feel it would strengthen their application; however, applicants who do not submit a test score will not be at a disadvantage.

General College Recommendations

• 4 years of  mathematics
• 4 years of  English
• 2-3 years of  laboratory   science
• 2 years of  history  or  government
• 2 or more years of  foreign language

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How to Write the Common Application Essays 2024-2025 (With Examples)

The Common App essay is one of the most important parts of your application, but it can be extremely daunting if you’re not familiar with creative writing or what admissions officers are looking for.

In this blog post, we’ll provide advice on how to break down these prompts, organize your thoughts, and craft a strong, meaningful response that admissions officers will notice. If you’d like more free personalized help, you can get your essays reviewed and explore school-by-school essay help on CollegeVine.

Why the Common App Essay Matters

Admissions is a human process. While admissions committees look at grades, test scores, and extracurriculars, there are five students that have great qualifications in those areas for every spot in a university’s class. As an applicant, you need an admissions counselor to choose you over everyone else — to advocate specifically for you. 

This is where essays come in; they are an opportunity for you to turn an admissions counselor into an advocate for your application! Of your essays, the Common App is the most important since it is seen by most of the colleges to which you apply. It is also your longest essay, which gives you more space to craft a narrative and share your personality, feelings, and perspective.

It’s not hyperbole to say that getting the Common App essay right is the single most important thing you can do to improve your chances of admission as a senior. 

Overview of the Common App

The Common App essay is the best way for admissions committees to get to know you. While SAT scores, your past course load, and your grades provide a quantitative picture of you as a student, the Common App essay offers adcoms a refreshing glimpse into your identity and personality. For this reason, try to treat the essay as an opportunity to tell colleges why you are unique and what matters to you.

Since your Common App essay will be seen by numerous colleges, you will want to paint a portrait of yourself that is accessible to a breadth of institutions and admissions officers (for example, if you are only applying to engineering programs at some schools, don’t focus your Common App on STEM at the expense of your other applications — save that for your supplemental essays).

In short, be open and willing to write about a topic you love, whether it is sports, music, politics, food, or watching movies. The Common App essay is more of a conversation than a job interview.

What Makes a Great Common App Essay?

A great Common App essay is, first and foremost, deeply personal. You are relying on the admissions committee to choose you over someone else, which they are more likely to do if they feel a personal connection to you. In your essay, you should delve into your feelings, how you think about situations/problems, and how you make decisions.

Good essays also usually avoid cliche topics . A couple overdone themes include an immigrant’s journey (particularly if you’re Asian American), and a sports accomplishment or injury. It’s not that these topics are bad, but rather that many students write about these subjects, so they don’t stand out as much. Of course, some students are able to write a genuine and unique essay about one of these topics, but it’s hard to pull off. You’re better off writing about more nuanced aspects of your identity!

You should also, of course, pay close attention to your grammar and spelling, use varied sentence structure and word choice, and be consistent with your tone/writing style. Take full advantage of the available 650 words, as writing less tends to mean missed opportunities.

Finally, it’s a good practice to be aware of your audience – know who you are writing for! For example, admissions officers at BYU will probably be very religious, while those at Oberlin will be deeply committed to social justice.

See some examples of great Common App essays to get a better idea of what makes a strong essay.

How your Common App Essay Fits with Your Other Essays

The Common App is one part of a portfolio of essays that you send to colleges, along with supplemental essays at individual colleges. With all of your essays for a particular college, you want to create a narrative and tell different parts of your story. So, the topics you write about should be cohesive and complementary, but not repetitive or overlapping. 

Before jumping in to write your Common App essay, you should think about the other schools that you’re writing essays for and make sure that you have a strategy for your entire portfolio of essays and cover different topics for each. If you have strong qualifications on paper for the colleges you are targeting, the best narratives tend to humanize you. If you have weaker qualifications on paper for your colleges, the best narratives tend to draw out your passion for the topics or fields of study that are of interest to you and magnify your accomplishments. 

Strategy for Writing the Common App Essays

Because the Common App essay is 650 words long and has few formal directions, organizing a response might seem daunting. Fortunately, at CollegeVine, we’ve developed a straightforward approach to formulating strong, unique responses.

This section outlines how to: 1) Brainstorm , 2) Organize , and 3) Write a Common App essay.

Before reading the prompts, brainstorming is a critical exercise to develop high-level ideas. One way to construct a high-level idea would be to delve into a passion and focus on how you interact with the concept or activity. For example, using “creative writing” as a high-level idea, one could stress their love of world-building, conveying complex emotions, and depicting character interactions, emphasizing how writing stems from real-life experiences.

A different idea that doesn’t involve an activity would be to discuss how your personality has developed in relation to your family; maybe one sibling is hot-headed, the other quiet, and you’re in the middle as the voice of reason (or maybe you’re the hot-head). These are simply two examples of infinitely many ideas you could come up with.

To begin developing your own high-level ideas, you can address these Core Four questions that all good Common App essays should answer:

• “Who Am I?”
• “Why Am I Here?”
• “What is Unique About Me?”
• “What Matters to Me?”

The first question focuses on your personality traits — who you are. The second question targets your progression throughout high school (an arc or journey). The third question is more difficult to grasp, but it involves showing why your personality traits, methods of thinking, areas of interest, and tangible skills form a unique combination. The fourth question is a concluding point that can be answered simply, normally in the conclusion paragraph, i.e., “Running matters to me” or “Ethical fashion matters to me.”

You can brainstorm freeform or start with a specific prompt in mind.

Sometimes, it can be helpful to start by jotting down the 3-5 aspects of your personality or experiences you’ve had on a piece of paper. Play around with narratives that are constructed out of different combinations of these essential attributes before settling on a prompt. 

For example, you might note that you are fascinated by environmental justice, have had success in Model Congress, and are now working with a local politician to create a recycling program in your school district. You may also have tried previous initiatives that failed. These experiences could be constructed and applied to a number of Common App prompts. You could address a specific identity or interest you have associated with public advocacy, discuss what you learned from your failed initiatives, explore how you challenged the lack of recycling at your school, fantasize about solving waste management issues, etc. 

Selecting a prompt that you identify with

For example, consider the following prompt: The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Perhaps you had been a dedicated and active member of your school’s debate team until one of your parents lost their jobs, leaving you unable to afford the high membership and travel dues. You decided to help out by getting a job after school, and responded to your familial hardship with grace and understanding (as opposed to anger). A few months later, and after speaking with your former debate coach and your parents, you set up a system to save up for your own trips so that you could still participate in debate!

In general, the most common mistake CollegeVine sees with Common App essays is that they aren’t deeply personal. Your essay should be specific enough that it could be identified as yours even if your name wasn’t attached. 

If you get stuck, don’t worry! This is very common as the Common App is often the first personal essay college applicants have ever written. One way of getting unstuck if you feel like you aren’t getting creative or personal enough is to keep asking yourself “why”

For example: I love basketball…

• Because I like having to think on the fly and be creative while running our offense.

It can often help to work with someone and bounce ideas off them. Teachers are often a bad idea – they tend to think of essays in an academic sense, which is to say they often fail to apply the admissions context. Further, it is unlikely that they know you well enough to provide valuable insight. Friends in your own year can be a good idea because they know you, but you should be careful about competitive pressures applying within the same high school. Older friends, siblings, or neighbors who have successfully navigated the admissions process at your target universities (or good universities) strike that medium between no longer being competitive with you for admissions but still being able to help you brainstorm well because they know you.

Overall, there is no single “correct” topic. Your essay will be strong as long as you are comfortable and passionate about your idea and it answers the Core Four questions.

Common App essays are not traditional five-paragraph essays. You are free to be creative in structure, employ dialogue, and use vivid descriptions—and you should! Make sure that context and logic are inherent in your essay, however. From paragraph to paragraph, sentence to sentence, your ideas should be clear and flow naturally. Great ways to ensure this are using a story arc following a few major points, or focusing on cause and effect.

The traditional approach

This involves constructing a narrative out of your experiences and writing a classic personal essay. You are free to be creative in structure, employ dialogue, and use vivid descriptions—and you should! Make sure that context and logic are inherent in your essay, however. From paragraph to paragraph, sentence to sentence, your ideas should be clear and flow naturally. Great ways to ensure this are using a story arc following a few major points, or focusing on cause and effect.

The creative approach

Some students prefer to experiment with an entirely new approach to the personal essay. For example, a student who is passionate about programming could write their essay in alternating lines of Binary and English. A hopeful Literature major could reimagine a moment in their life as a chapter of War and Peace, adopting Tolstoy’s writing style. Or, you could write about a fight with your friend in the form of a third person sports recap to both highlight your interest in journalism and reveal a personal story. Creative essays are incredibly risky and difficult to pull off. However, a creative essay that is well executed may also have the potential for high reward.

Your Common App essay must display excellent writing in terms of grammar and sentence structure. The essay doesn’t need to be a Shakespearean masterpiece, but it should be well-written and clear.

A few tips to accomplish this are:

• Show, don’t tell
• Be specific
• Choose active voice, not passive voice
• Avoid clichés
• Write in a tone that aligns with your goals for the essay. For example, if you are a heavy STEM applicant hoping to use your Common App essay to humanize your application, you will be undermined by writing in a brusque, harsh tone.

“Show, don’t tell” is vital to writing an engaging essay, and this is the point students struggle with most.  Instead of saying, “I struggled to make friends when I transferred schools,” you can show your emotions by writing, “I scanned the bustling school cafeteria, feeling more and more forlorn with each unfamiliar face. I found an empty table and ate my lunch alone.”

In many cases, writing can include more specific word choice . For example, “As a kid, I always played basketball,” can be improved to be “Every day after school as a kid, I ran home, laced up my sneakers, and shot a basketball in my driveway until the sun went down and I could barely see.”

To use active voice over passive voice , be sure that your sentence’s subject performs the action indicated by the verb, rather than the action performing onto the subject. Instead of writing “this project was built by my own hands,” you would say “I built this project with my own hands.”

Finally, avoid clichés like adages, sayings, and quotes that do not bring value to your essay. Examples include phrases like “Be the change you wish to see in the world” (it’s also important to know that sayings like these are often seriously misquoted—Gandhi did not actually utter these words) and lavish claims like “it was the greatest experience of my life.”

A few tips for the writing (and re-writing!) process

• If you have enough time, write a 950 word version of your personal statement first and then cut it down to the official word limit of 650. In many cases, the extra writing you do for this draft will contain compelling content. Using this, you can carve out the various sections and information that allow you to tell your story best. 
• Revise your draft 3-5 times. Any more, you are probably overthinking and overanalyzing. Any less, you are not putting in the work necessary to optimize your Common App essay.
• It can be easy for you to get lost in your words after reading and rereading, writing and rewriting. It is best to have someone else do your final proofread to help you identify typos or sentences that are unclear.

Deciding on a Prompt

This section provides insights and examples for each of the 7 Common App essay prompts for the 2024-2025 cycle. Each of these prompts lends itself to distinct topics and strategies, so selecting the prompt that best aligns with your idea is essential to writing an effective Common App essay.

Here are this year’s prompts (click the link to jump to the specific prompt):

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. how did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience, reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. what prompted your thinking what was the outcome, reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. how has this gratitude affected or motivated you, discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others., describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. why does it captivate you what or who do you turn to when you want to learn more, share an essay on any topic of your choice. it can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design..

This prompt offers an opportunity to engage with your favorite extracurricular or academic subject, and it allows you to weave a narrative that displays personal growth in that area. An essay that displays your personality and a unique interest can be attention-grabbing, particularly if you have an unconventional passion, such as blogging about Chinese basketball or unicycling.

Don’t feel intimidated if you don’t have a passion that is immediately “unique,” however. Even an interest like “arctic scuba diving” will fail as an essay topic if it’s not written with insight and personality. Instead of attempting to impress the Admissions Officer by making up unusual or shocking things, think about how you spend your free time and ask yourself why you spend it that way. Also think about your upbringing, identity, and experiences and ask yourself, “What has impacted me in a meaningful way?”

Here Are A Few Response Examples:

Background – A person’s background includes experiences, training, education, and culture. You can discuss the experience of growing up, interacting with family, and how relationships have molded who you are. A background can include long-term interactions with arts, music, sciences, sports, writing, and many other learned skills. Background also includes your social environments and how they’ve influenced your perception. In addition, you can highlight intersections between multiple backgrounds and show how each is integral to you.

One student wrote about how growing up in a poor Vietnamese immigrant family inspired her to seize big opportunities, even if they were risky or challenging. She describes the emotional demand of opening and running a family grocery store. (Note: Names have been changed to protect the identity of the author and subjects in all the examples.)

The callouses on my mother’s hands formed during the years spent scaling fish at the  market in Go Noi, Vietnam. My mother never finished her formal education because she  labored on the streets to help six others survive. Her calloused hands not only scaled fish, they  also slaved over the stove, mustering a meal from the few items in the pantry. This image  resurfaces as I watch my mother’s calloused hands wipe her sweat-beaded forehead while she  manages the family business, compiling resources to provide for the family. 

Living in an impoverished region of Vietnam pushed my parents to emigrate. My two  year-old memory fails me, but my mother vividly recounts my frightened eyes staring up at her on my first plane ride. With life packed into a single suitcase, my mother’s heart, though,  trembled more than mine. Knowing only a few words of English, my mother embarked on a  journey shrouded in a haze of uncertainty. 

Our initial year in America bore an uncanny resemblance to Vietnam – from making one  meal last the entire day to wearing the same four shirts over and over again. Through thin walls, I  heard my parents debating their decision to come to the United States, a land where they knew  no one. My grandparents’ support came in half-hearted whispers cracking through long-distance  phone calls. My dad’s scanty income barely kept food on the table. We lived on soup and rice for  what seemed an interminable time. 

However, an opportunity knocked on my parents’ door: a grocery store in the town of  Decatur, Mississippi, was up for rent. My parents took the chance, risking all of their savings.  To help my parents, I spent most of my adolescent afternoons stocking shelves, mopping floors,  and even translating. My parents’ voices wavered when speaking English; through every attempt to communicate with their customers, a language barrier forged a palpable presence in each  transaction. My parents’ spirits faltered as customers grew impatient. A life of poverty awaited us in Vietnam if the business was not successful. 

On the first day, the business brought in only twenty dollars. Twenty dollars. My mother and my father wept after they closed the shop. Seeing the business as a failure, my mom commenced her packing that night; returning to Vietnam seemed inevitable. 

The next business day, however, sales increased ten-fold. More and more customers  came each successive day. My mom’s tears turned into—well, more tears, but they were tears of  joy. My mother unpacked a bag each night. 

Fifteen years later, my parents now own Blue Bear Grocery. My parents work, work,  work to keep the shelves stocked and the customers coming. The grocery store holds a special  place in my heart: it is the catalyst for my success. My parents serve as my role-models, teaching  me a new lesson with every can placed on the shelf. One lesson that resurfaces is the importance  of pursuing a formal education, something that my parents never had the chance of. 

When the opportunity to attend the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science  (MSMS) presented itself, I took it and ran, as did my parents by leaving Vietnam and by buying  the store. Although I am not managing hundreds of products, I am managing hundreds of  assignments at MSMS – from Mu Alpha Theta tutoring to lab reports to student government to British literature. 

Had I not immigrated, my hands would be calloused from the tight grip of the knife  scaling fish rather than from the tight grip on my pencil. My hands would be calloused from scrubbing my clothes covered in fish scales rather than from long hours spent typing a research paper. 

Although the opportunities that my parents and I pursued are different, our journey is  essentially the same: we walk a road paved with uncertainty and doubt with the prospect of success fortified by our hearts and our hands.

Identity – this can mean racial identity, sexual orientation, gender, or simply one’s place within a specific community (even communities as unique as, say, players of World of Warcraft). With the topic of racial identity, it’s important to remember the audience (college admissions counselors often lean progressive politically), so this might not be the best place to make sweeping claims about today’s state of race relations. However, reflecting on how your culture has shaped your experiences can make for a compelling essay. Alternatively, focusing on a dominant personality trait can also make for a compelling theme. For example, if you’re extremely outgoing, you could explain how your adventurousness has allowed you to learn from a diverse group of friends and the random situations you find yourself in. One important thing to note: the topic of identity can easily lack originality if you cover a common experience such as feeling divided between cultures, or coming out. If such experiences are integral to who you are, you should still write about them, but be sure to show us your unique introspection and reflection.

One student detailed how growing up as an American in Germany led to feelings of displacement. Moving to America in high school only exacerbated her feelings of rootlessness. Her transcultural experiences, however, allowed her to relate to other “New Americans,” particularly refugees. Helping a young refugee girl settle into the US eventually helped the writer find home in America as well:

Growing up, I always wanted to eat, play, visit, watch, and be it all: sloppy joes and spaetzle, Beanie Babies and Steiff, Cape Cod and the Baltic Sea, football and fussball, American and German. 

My American parents relocated our young family to Berlin when I was three years old. My exposure to America was limited to holidays spent stateside and awfully dubbed Disney Channel broadcasts. As the few memories I had of living in the US faded, my affinity for Germany grew. I began to identify as “Germerican,” an ideal marriage of the two cultures. As a child, I viewed my biculturalism as a blessing. I possessed a native fluency in “Denglisch” and my family’s Halloween parties were legendary at a time when the holiday was just starting to gain popularity outside of the American Sector. 

Insidiously, the magic I once felt in loving two homes was replaced by a deep­rooted sense of rootlessness. I stopped feeling American when, while discussing World War II with my grandmother, I said “the US won.” She corrected me, insisting I use “we” when referring to the US’s actions. Before then, I hadn’t realized how directly people associated themselves with their countries. I stopped feeling German during the World Cup when my friends labeled me a “bandwagon fan” for rooting for Germany. Until that moment, my cheers had felt sincere. I wasn’t part of the “we” who won World Wars or World Cups. Caught in a twilight of foreign and familiar, I felt emotionally and psychologically disconnected from the two cultures most familiar to me. 

After moving from Berlin to New York state at age fifteen, my feelings of cultural homelessness thrived in my new environment. Looking and sounding American furthered my feelings of dislocation. Border patrol agents, teachers, classmates, neighbors, and relatives all “welcomed me home” to a land they could not understand was foreign to me. Americans confused me as I relied on Urban Dictionary to understand my peers, the Pledge of Allegiance seemed nationalistic, and the only thing familiar about Fahrenheit was the German after whom it was named. Too German for America and too American for Germany, I felt alienated from both. I wanted desperately to be a member of one, if not both, cultures. 

During my first weeks in Buffalo, I spent my free time googling “Berlin Family Seeks Teen” and “New Americans in Buffalo.” The latter search proved most fruitful: I discovered New Hope, a nonprofit that empowers resettled refugees, or “New Americans,” to thrive. I started volunteering with New Hope’s children’s programs, playing with and tutoring young refugees. 

It was there that I met Leila, a twelve-­year-­old Iraqi girl who lived next to Hopeprint. In between games and snacks, Leila would ask me questions about American life, touching on everything from Halloween to President Obama. Gradually, my confidence in my American identity grew as I recognized my ability to answer most of her questions. American culture was no longer completely foreign to me. I found myself especially qualified to work with young refugees; my experience growing up in a country other than that of my parents’ was similar enough to that of the refugee children New Hope served that I could empathize with them and offer advice. Together, we worked through conflicting allegiances, homesickness, and stretched belonging. 

Forging a special, personal bond with young refugees proved a cathartic outlet for my insecurities as it taught me to value my past. My transculturalism allowed me to help young refugees integrate into American life, and, in doing so, I was able to adjust myself. Now, I have an appreciation of myself that I never felt before. “Home” isn’t the digits in a passport or ZIP code but a sense of contentedness. By helping a young refugee find comfort, happiness, and home in America, I was finally able to find those same things for myself.

The above essay was written by Lydia Schooler, a graduate of Yale University and one of our CollegeVine advisors. If you enjoyed this essay and are looking for expert college essay and admissions advice, consider booking a session with Lydia .

Interests – Interest are basically synonymous to activities, but slightly broader (you could say that interests encompass activities); participation in an interest is often less organized than in an activity. For instance, you might consider cross country an activity, but cooking an interest. Writing about an interest is a way to highlight passions that may not come across in the rest of your application. If you’re a wrestler for example, writing about your interest in stand-up comedy would be a refreshing addition to your application. You should also feel free to use this topic to show what an important activity on your application really means to you. Keep in mind, however, that many schools will ask you to describe one of your activities in their supplemental essays (usually about 250 words), so choose strategically—you don’t want to write twice on the same thing.

Read a successful essay answering this prompt.

This prompt lends itself to consideration of what facets of your personality allow you to overcome adversity. While it’s okay to choose a relatively mundane “failure” such as not winning an award at a Model UN conference, another (perhaps more powerful) tactic is to write about a foundational failure and assess its impact on your development thereafter.

There are times in life when your foundation is uprooted. There are times when you experience failure and you want to give up since you don’t see a solution. This essay is about your response when you are destabilized and your actions when you don’t see an immediate answer.

For example, if you lost a friend due to an argument, you can analyze the positions from both sides, evaluate your decisions, and identify why you were wrong. The key is explaining your thought process and growth following the event to highlight how your thinking has changed. Did you ever admit your fault and seek to fix the problem? Have you treated others differently since then? How has the setback changed the way you view arguments and fights now? Framing the prompt in this way allows you to tackle heavier questions about ethics and demonstrate your self-awareness.

If you haven’t experienced a “big” failure, another angle to take would be to discuss smaller, repeated failures that are either linked or similar thematically. For example, if you used to stutter or get nervous in large social groups, you could discuss the steps you took to find a solution. Even if you don’t have a massive foundational challenge to write about, a recurring challenge can translate to a powerful essay topic, especially if the steps you took to overcome this repeated failure help expose your character.

One student described his ignorance of his brother’s challenges — the writer assumed that because his brother Sam was sociable, Sam  was adjusting fine to their family’s move. After an angry outburst from Sam  and a long late-night conversation, the writer realizes his need to develop greater sensitivity and empathy. He now strives to recognize and understand others’ struggles, even if they’re not immediately apparent.

“You ruined my life!” After months of quiet anger, my brother finally confronted me. To my shame, I had been appallingly ignorant of his pain.

Despite being twins, Max and I are profoundly different. Having intellectual interests from a young age that, well, interested very few of my peers, I often felt out of step in comparison with my highly-social brother. Everything appeared to come effortlessly for Max and, while we share an extremely tight bond, his frequent time away with friends left me feeling more and more alone as we grew older.

When my parents learned about The Green Academy, we hoped it would be an opportunity for me to find not only an academically challenging environment, but also – perhaps more importantly – a community. This meant transferring the family from Drumfield to Kingston. And while there was concern about Max, we all believed that given his sociable nature, moving would be far less impactful on him than staying put might be on me.

As it turned out, Green Academy was everything I’d hoped for. I was ecstatic to discover a group of students with whom I shared interests and could truly engage. Preoccupied with new friends and a rigorous course load, I failed to notice that the tables had turned. Max, lost in the fray and grappling with how to make connections in his enormous new high school, had become withdrawn and lonely. It took me until Christmas time – and a massive argument – to recognize how difficult the transition had been for my brother, let alone that he blamed me for it.

Through my own journey of searching for academic peers, in addition to coming out as gay when I was 12, I had developed deep empathy for those who had trouble fitting in. It was a pain I knew well and could easily relate to. Yet after Max’s outburst, my first response was to protest that our parents – not I – had chosen to move us here. In my heart, though, I knew that regardless of who had made the decision, we ended up in Kingston for my benefit. I was ashamed that, while I saw myself as genuinely compassionate, I had been oblivious to the heartache of the person closest to me. I could no longer ignore it – and I didn’t want to.

We stayed up half the night talking, and the conversation took an unexpected turn. Max opened up and shared that it wasn’t just about the move. He told me how challenging school had always been for him, due to his dyslexia, and that the ever-present comparison to me had only deepened his pain.

We had been in parallel battles the whole time and, yet, I only saw that Max was in distress once he experienced problems with which I directly identified. I’d long thought Max had it so easy – all because he had friends. The truth was, he didn’t need to experience my personal brand of sorrow in order for me to relate – he had felt plenty of his own.

My failure to recognize Max’s suffering brought home for me the profound universality and diversity of personal struggle; everyone has insecurities, everyone has woes, and everyone – most certainly – has pain. I am acutely grateful for the conversations he and I shared around all of this, because I believe our relationship has been fundamentally strengthened by a deeper understanding of one another. Further, this experience has reinforced the value of constantly striving for deeper sensitivity to the hidden struggles of those around me. I won’t make the mistake again of assuming that the surface of someone’s life reflects their underlying story.

This prompt is difficult to answer because most high schoolers haven’t participated in the types of iconoclastic protests against societal ills that lend themselves to an awe-inspiring response. A more tenable alternative here could be to discuss a time that you went against social norms, whether it was by becoming friends with someone who seemed like an outcast or by proudly showing off a geeky passion.

And if you ever participated in a situation in tandem with adults and found some success (i.e., by blogging, starting a tutoring organization, or participating in political campaigns), you could discuss your experiences as a young person without a college degree in professional circles. However, avoid sounding morally superior (as if you’re the only person who went against this convention, or that you’re better than your peers for doing so).

Another way to answer this prompt is to discuss a time when you noticed a need for change. For example, if you wondered why medical records are often handwritten, or why a doctor’s visit can be long and awkward, maybe you challenged the norm in healthcare by brainstorming an electronic-recording smartphone app or a telemedicine system. In a similar way, if you led a fundraiser and recognized that advertising on social media would be more effective than the traditional use of printed flyers, you could write about a topic along those lines as well. Focus on what action or experience caused you to recognize the need for change and follow with your actions and resulting outcome.

As a whole, this prompt lends itself to reflective writing, and more specifically, talking the reader through your thought processes. In many cases, the exploration of your thought processes and decision-making is more important than the actual outcome or concept in question. In short, this essay is very much about “thinking,” rumination, and inquisition. A good brainstorming exercise for this prompt would be to write your problem on a sheet of paper and then develop various solutions to the problem, including a brief reason for justification. The more thorough you are in justifying and explaining your solutions in the essay, the more compelling your response will be.

While this prompt may seem to be asking a simple question, your answer has the potential to provide deep insights about who you are to the admissions committee. Explaining what you are grateful for can show them your culture, your community, your philosophical outlook on the world, and what makes you tick. 

The first step to writing this essay is to think about the “something” and “someone” of your story. It is imperative to talk about a unique moment in your life, as the prompt asks for gratitude that came about in a surprising way. You will want to write about a story that you are certain no one else would have. To brainstorm, ask yourself: “if I told a stranger that I was grateful for what happened to me without any context, would they be surprised?” 

Note that the most common answers to this prompt involve a family member, teacher, or sports coach giving the narrator an arduous task ─ which, by the end of the story, the narrator becomes grateful for because of the lessons they learned through their hard work. Try to avoid writing an essay along these lines unless you feel that your take on it will be truly original.

Begin your essay by telling a creative story about the “something” that your “someone” did that made you thankful. Paint a picture with words here ─ establish who you were in the context of your story and make the character development of your “someone” thorough. Show the admissions committee that you have a clear understanding of yourself and the details of your world. 

Keep in mind, however, that the essay is ultimately about you and your growth. While you should set the scene clearly, don’t spend too much time talking about the “something” and “someone.”

Your story should then transition into a part about your unexpected epiphany, e.g. “Six months after Leonard gave me that pogo stick, I started to be grateful for the silly thing…” Explain the why of your gratitude as thoroughly as you can before you begin to talk about how your gratitude affected or motivated you. Have a Socratic seminar with yourself in your head ─ ask yourself, “why am I grateful for the pogo stick?” and continue asking why until you arrive at a philosophical conclusion. Perhaps your reason could be that you eventually got used to the odd looks that people gave you as you were pogoing and gained more self-confidence. 

Finally, think about how learning to be grateful for something you would not expect to bring you joy and thankfulness has had a positive impact on your life. Gaining more self-confidence, for example, could motivate you to do an infinite number of things that you were not able to attempt in the past. Try to make a conclusion by connecting this part to your story from the beginning of the essay. You want to ultimately show that had [reference to a snippet of your introduction, ideally an absurd part] never have happened, you would not be who you are today.

Remember to express these lessons implicitly through the experiences in your essay, and not explicitly. Show us your growth through the changes in your life rather than simply stating that you gained confidence. For instance, maybe the pogo stick gift led you to start a pogo dance team at your school, and the team went on to perform at large venues to raise money for charity. But before your pogo days, you had crippling stage fright and hated even giving speeches in your English class. These are the kinds of details that make your essay more engaging. 

This prompt is expansive in that you can choose any accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked personal growth or new understanding.

One option is to discuss a formal accomplishment or event (whether it is a religious ritual or social rite of passage) that reflects personal growth. If you go this route, make sure to discuss why the ritual was meaningful and how specific aspects of said ritual contributed to your personal growth. An example of this could be the meaning of becoming an Eagle Scout to you, the accomplishment of being elected to Senior Leadership, or completing a Confirmation. In the case of religious topics, however, be sure to not get carried away with details, and focus on the nature of your personal growth and new understanding — know your audience.

Alternatively, a more relaxed way to address this prompt is using an informal event or realization, which would allow you to show more personality and creativity. An example of this could be learning how to bake with your mother, thus sparking a newfound connection with her, allowing you to learn about her past. Having a long discussion about life or philosophy with your father could also suffice, thus sparking more thoughts about your identity. You could write about a realization that caused you to join a new organization or quit an activity you did not think you would enjoy, as doing so would force you to grow out of your comfort zone to try new things.

The key to answering this prompt is clearly defining what it is that sparked your growth, and then describing in detail the nature of this growth and how it related to your perception of yourself and others. This part of the essay is crucial, as you must dedicate sufficient time to not undersell the description of how you grew instead of simply explaining the experience and then saying, “I grew.” This description of how you grew must be specific, in-depth, and it does not have to be simple. Your growth can also be left open-ended if you are still learning from your experiences today.

One student wrote about how her single mother’s health crisis prompted her to quickly assume greater responsibility as a fourteen-year-old. This essay describes the new tasks she undertook, as well as how the writer now more greatly cherishes her time with her mother.

Tears streamed down my face and my mind was paralyzed with fear. Sirens blared, but the silent panic in my own head was deafening. I was muted by shock. A few hours earlier, I had anticipated a vacation in Washington, D.C., but unexpectedly, I was rushing to the hospital behind an ambulance carrying my mother. As a fourteen-year-old from a single mother household, without a driver’s license, and seven hours from home, I was distraught over the prospect of losing the only parent I had. My fear turned into action as I made some of the bravest decisions of my life. 

Three blood transfusions later, my mother’s condition was stable, but we were still states away from home, so I coordinated with my mother’s doctors in North Carolina to schedule the emergency operation that would save her life. Throughout her surgery, I anxiously awaited any word from her surgeon, but each time I asked, I was told that there had been another complication or delay. Relying on my faith and positive attitude, I remained optimistic that my mother would survive and that I could embrace new responsibilities.

My mother had been a source of strength for me, and now I would be strong for her through her long recovery ahead. As I started high school, everyone thought the crisis was over, but it had really just started to impact my life. My mother was often fatigued, so I assumed more responsibility, juggling family duties, school, athletics, and work. I made countless trips to the neighborhood pharmacy, cooked dinner, biked to the grocery store, supported my concerned sister, and provided the loving care my mother needed to recover. I didn’t know I was capable of such maturity and resourcefulness until it was called upon. Each day was a stage in my gradual transformation from dependence to relative independence.

Throughout my mother’s health crisis, I matured by learning to put others’ needs before my own. As I worried about my mother’s health, I took nothing for granted, cherished what I had, and used my daily activities as motivation to move forward. I now take ownership over small decisions such as scheduling daily appointments and managing my time but also over major decisions involving my future, including the college admissions process. Although I have become more independent, my mother and I are inseparably close, and the realization that I almost lost her affects me daily. Each morning, I wake up ten minutes early simply to eat breakfast with my mother and spend time with her before our busy days begin. I am aware of how quickly life can change. My mother remains a guiding force in my life, but the feeling of empowerment I discovered within myself is the ultimate form of my independence. Though I thought the summer before my freshman year would be a transition from middle school to high school, it was a transformation from childhood to adulthood.

This prompt allows you to expand and deepen a seemingly small or simple idea, topic, or concept. One example could be “stars,” in that you could describe stargazing as a child, counting them, recognizing constellations, and then transforming that initial captivation into a deeper appreciation of the cosmos as a whole, spurring a love of astronomy and physics.

Another example could be “language,” discussing how it has evolved and changed over the course of history, how it allows you to look deeper into different cultures, and how learning different languages stretches the mind. A tip for expanding on these topics and achieving specificity is to select particular details of the topic that you find intriguing and explain why.

For example, if you’re passionate about cooking or baking, you could use specific details by explaining, in depth, the intricate attention and artistry necessary to make a dish or dessert. You can delve into why certain spices or garnishes are superior in different situations, how flavors blend well together and can be mixed creatively, or even the chemistry differences between steaming, searing, and grilling.

Regardless of your topic, this prompt provides a great opportunity to display writing prowess through elegant, specific descriptions that leverage sensory details. Describing the beauty of the night sky, the rhythms and sounds of different languages, or the scent of a crème brûlée shows passion and captivation in a very direct, evocative way.

The key to writing this essay is answering the question of why something captivates you instead of simply ending with “I love surfing.” A tip would be to play off your senses (for applicable topics), think about what you see, feel, smell, hear, and taste.

In the case of surfing, the salty water, weightlessness of bobbing over the waves, and fresh air could cater to senses. Alternatively, for less physical topics, you can use a train of thought and descriptions to show how deeply and vividly your mind dwells on the topic.

Well-executed trains of thought or similar tactics are successful ways to convey passion for a certain topic. To answer what or who you turn to when you want to learn more, you can be authentic and honest—if it’s Wikipedia, a teacher, friend, YouTube Channel, etc., you simply have to show how you interact with the medium.

When brainstorming this particular essay, a tip would be to use a web diagram, placing the topic in the middle and thinking about branching characteristics, themes, or concepts related to the topic that are directly engaging and captivating to you. In doing so, you’ll be able to gauge the depth of the topic and whether it will suffice for this prompt.

In the following example, a student shares their journey as they learn to appreciate a piece of their culture’s cuisine.

As a wide-eyed, naive seven-year-old, I watched my grandmother’s rough, wrinkled hands pull and knead mercilessly at white dough until the countertop was dusted in flour. She steamed small buns in bamboo baskets, and a light sweetness lingered in the air. Although the mantou looked delicious, their papery, flat taste was always an unpleasant surprise. My grandmother scolded me for failing to finish even one, and when I complained about the lack of flavor she would simply say that I would find it as I grew older. How did my adult relatives seem to enjoy this Taiwanese culinary delight while I found it so plain?

During my journey to discover the essence of mantou, I began to see myself the same way I saw the steamed bun. I believed that my writing would never evolve beyond a hobby and that my quiet nature crippled my ambitions. Ultimately, I thought I had little to offer the world. In middle school, it was easy for me to hide behind the large personalities of my friends, blending into the background and keeping my thoughts company. Although writing had become my emotional outlet, no matter how well I wrote essays, poetry, or fiction, I could not stand out in a sea of talented students. When I finally gained the confidence to submit my poetry to literary journals but was promptly rejected, I stepped back from my work to begin reading from Whitman to Dickinson, Li-Young Lee to Ocean Vuong. It was then that I realized I had been holding back a crucial ingredient–my distinct voice. 

Over time, my taste buds began to mature, as did I. Mantou can be flavored with pork and eggplant, sweetened in condensed milk, and moistened or dried by the steam’s temperature. After I ate the mantou with each of these factors in mind, I noticed its environment enhanced a delicately woven strand of sweetness beneath the taste of side dishes: the sugar I had often watched my grandmother sift into the flour. The taste was nearly untraceable, but once I grasped it I could truly begin to cherish mantou. In the same way the taste had been lost to me for years, my writer’s voice had struggled to shine through because of my self-doubt and fear of vulnerability.

As I acquired a taste for mantou, I also began to strengthen my voice through my surrounding environment. With the support of my parents, peer poets, and the guidance of Amy Tan and the Brontё sisters, I worked tirelessly to uncover my voice: a subtle strand of sweetness. Once I stopped trying to fit into a publishing material mold and infused my uninhibited passion for my Taiwanese heritage into my writing, my poem was published in a literary journal. I wrote about the blatant racism Asians endured during coronavirus, and the editor of Skipping Stones Magazine was touched by both my poem and my heartfelt letter. I opened up about being ridiculed for bringing Asian food to school at Youth Leadership Forum, providing support to younger Asian-American students who reached out with the relief of finding someone they could relate to. I embraced writing as a way to convey my struggle with cultural identity. I joined the school’s creative writing club and read my pieces in front of an audience, honing my voice into one that flourishes out loud as well.

Now, I write and speak unapologetically, falling in love with a voice that I never knew I had. It inspires passion within my communities and imparts tenacity to Asian-American youth, rooting itself deeply into everything I write. Today, my grandmother would say that I have finally unearthed the taste of mantou as I savor every bite with a newfound appreciation. I can imagine her hands shaping the dough that has become my voice, and I am eager to share it with the world.

Your GPA and SAT don’t tell the full admissions story

We’ll let you know what your chances are at your dream schools!

This prompt allows you to express what you want to express if it doesn’t align directly with the other prompts. While this prompt is very open-ended, it doesn’t mean you can adapt any essay you’ve written and think it will suffice. Always refer back to the Strategy section of this article and make sure the topic and essay of your choice addresses the Core Four questions necessary for a good Common App essay.

This prompt, more than the others, poses a high risk but also a high-potential reward. Writing your own question allows you to demonstrate individuality and confidence. Here, you can craft an innovative essay that tackles a difficult topic (for example, whether to raise or lower taxes) or presents information with a unique format (such as a conversation with an historical figure).

We encourage you to try something unconventional for this prompt, like comparing your personality to a Picasso painting, using an extended philosophical metaphor to describe your four years of high school, or writing in a poetic style to display your love of poetry. If you are extremely passionate about a topic or an expert in a certain area, for example Renaissance technology or journalism during World War II, you can use this prompt to show your authority on a subject by discussing it at a high level.

Be careful to frame the essay in a way that is accessible to the average reader while still incorporating quality evidence and content that would qualify you as an expert. As always, exercise caution in writing about controversial social or political topics, and always make sure to consider your audience and what they’re looking for in a student.

Sometimes an unconventional essay can capture Admissions Officers’ attention and move them in a profound way; other times, the concept can fly completely over their heads. Be sure to execute the essay clearly and justify your decision by seeking high-quality feedback from reliable sources. As always, the essay should demonstrate something meaningful about you, whether it is your personality, thought process, or values.

Here’s what the experts have to say about this prompt…

This prompt, like the others, is really asking you to tell the story of who you are. Your essay should be personal and should talk about something significant that has shaped your identity.

Here are a few broad themes that can work well: academic interest; culture, values, and diversity; extracurricular interests; and your impact on the community. You should highlight one of these themes using creative, vividly descriptive narrative. Make sure to not fall into the common pitfall of talking about something else -- an extracurricular activity, for example -- more than yourself.

A student I advised had a great idea to respond to this prompt -- an essay about how they do their best thinking while sitting on a tree branch near their home. Not only was it unique and personal, but it allowed the student to show what they think about, dream about, and value. That's the main goal for any applicant responding to prompt 7.

Alex Oddo Advisor on CollegeVine

All of the Common App prompts are broad in scope, but this one really takes the cake! I typically advise using the first six prompts as guardrails for your brainstorm, but in doing so, you may come up with a topic that doesn’t cleanly fit with any of the first six prompts. That’s where this prompt can come in handy.

Or, you might have an idea that’s really out there (like writing about your love of sonnets as a series of sonnets). Essentially, this prompt is a good fit for essays that are anywhere from slightly unconventional to extremely atypical.

If this all feels a bit confusing - don’t worry! How you write your story is much more important than what prompt you end up choosing. At the end of the day, these are just guides to help you cultivate a topic and are not meant to stress you out.

Priya Desai Advisor on CollegeVine

Students who want to complete the CommonApp’s seventh prompt need to have already gone through the other prompts and determined that their story cannot fit with those. Thus, generally speaking, I advise my students to not use the final prompt unless it is absolutely necessary.

If an admission officer believes that your essay could have been used with one of the other prompts, this may lead them to have a perception about you as a student that might not be accurate.

Nevertheless, as my colleagues have pointed out, what matters is the essay the most and not necessarily the prompt. That being said, the test of whether or not you as a student can follow directions is part of the prompt selection and how well you answer it. If you choose the final prompt and yet your answer could work with another available prompt, this will not put you in your best light.

In conclusion, only use this prompt when absolutely necessary, and remember that the purpose of the personal statement is to give the admissions officers a glimpse into who you are as a person, so you want to use this space to showcase beautiful you.

Veronica Prout Advisor on CollegeVine

Where to get your common app essay edited.

At selective schools, your essays account for around 25% of your admissions decision. That’s more than grades (20%) and test scores (15%), and almost as much as extracurriculars (30%). Why is this? Most students applying to top schools will have stellar academics and extracurriculars. Your essays are your chance to stand out and humanize your application. That’s why it’s vital that your essays are engaging, and present you as someone who would enrich the campus community.

Before submitting your application, you should have someone else review your essays. That’s why we created our free  Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools.  Find the right advisor for you  to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Brigham Young University Undergraduate College Application Essays

These Brigham Young University college application essays were written by students accepted at Brigham Young University. All of our sample college essays include the question prompt and the year written. Please use these sample admission essays responsibly.

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• Browse College Application Essays
• Undergraduate

College Application Essays accepted by Brigham Young University

Valued success michael scott robison, brigham young university.

Albert Einstein said, "Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value." I only truly began to understand this quote over the course of the last school year. Until this year, success in high school was never difficult...

Picture This Anonymous

I just cannot help it -- I see the world around me like I am looking through a camera lens. Everywhere I go I see perfect photo opportunities. Whenever I stumble upon beautiful lighting, contrast, shape, color or texture, I am compelled to take a...

Moving For The Eighteenth Time Anonymous

We moved to a different house again. For the eighteenth time.

It had been a Saturday when my father made his grand announcement that we were moving again. I had been eating at the dinner table with my six siblings, and I almost choked. Grinning,...

Who Needs Hogwarts When You've Got a Book? Elizabeth P Rampton

Alice has her rabbit hole; Lucy has her wardrobe; Harry has Platform Nine and Three-quarters; as for me, I have my bookshelf. Reading is something I have always loved to do. It allows me to escape to another world from the comfort of my fuzzy...

The Lake Anonymous

My mother is a refugee from Cambodia who witnessed the murder of her father by the Khmer Rouge at age 2. Her response to her trauma was to put pressure on her kids to be the best. Growing up I remember writing out the ABC’s hundreds of times a...

Recent Questions about Brigham Young University

The Question and Answer section for Brigham Young University is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

what is the theme of Barrio Boy?

The theme is being accepted by society the main character is accepted and feels accepted because his teacher made him understand English and helped him become more confident with himself

what are two words to describe the short story no gumption and why??

Just two words?

Motivation and Expectations

Can you tell me if this is a good 200 word essay for my application?

Whether or not this is a good essay is partly dependent on the question that was asked. You might want to use the essay services of Gradesaver to get some strong input about how this can be "beefed up." The essay does make a point and it...

Struggling with your BYU application essays? Get professional help before the December deadline

By college essay builder | posted - nov. 16, 2022 at 7:00 p.m..

(College Essay Builder)

Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

Does your child have what it takes to get into BYU?

The stakes of getting accepted to BYU are getting higher and higher. It is estimated that over 12,000 students will apply to BYU — Provo this fall. And using last year's acceptance rates , more than 4,000 won't make the cut.

With such a large pool of applicants, the BYU Admissions Committee is often tasked with choosing between highly-qualified applicants who all meet the minimum requirements. And since BYU is not currently requiring standardized test scores, it is even more difficult for applicants to stand out.

With all of these factors, parents want to know:

"Is there anything I can do to improve my child's chances for acceptance to BYU?" The answer to this question is an absolute "yes!"

How the BYU application essays can make or break your child's acceptance

By the time your child begins their BYU application, nearly all of the application criteria (transcripts, activities, awards, etc.) is fixed and can't be influenced or changed — with one notable exception: the essays.

The BYU application essays have become one of the most critical ways your child will be evaluated by the admissions committee. This is because the essays are the best way for the committee to get to know your child on a personal level to determine how well they have demonstrated their preparation and alignment with the Mission and Aims of BYU .

In fact, the BYU essays are the only real controllable factor your child has at this point that can either help or hurt their chances of getting accepted.

The wrong way to write BYU application essays

Just sitting down to "knock out" the essays without understanding what BYU is looking for is a huge mistake. Successful BYU essays require deep introspection, multiple drafts and a good deal of pre-work. Students who don't allow time for these crucial activities end up writing sub-par BYU essays that suffer from one or more of the following issues:

Too generic

It isn't natural for most high-school seniors to be vulnerable and genuine. This often results in superficial essays that don't give enough information about your child for BYU admissions to complete a proper evaluation.

This year, BYU has shortened most of the essays by 500 characters. The lower the character count, the more difficult it is for students to effectively address everything the prompt is asking for. Consequently, students can easily spend too much of their essay telling a story but not allowing enough space for important connections and reflections.

No effective feedback

Most students work on their BYU essays right up to the deadline and don't have the proper time to get feedback and make revisions. If parents do read the essays, they often don't know how to provide the most helpful feedback. This cycle often results in substantial errors in essay structure, content and grammar.

The right way to write BYU application essays: The 3 most important questions

Susie Boyce, founder of College Essay Builder , has been helping students write BYU application essays since 2007. Over the years, she has discovered three fundamental questions that all successful BYU essays must effectively answer. These three questions are:

Do my child's essays show that they value the aims of a BYU education?

Each BYU essay should correlate directly to one or more of the Aims of a BYU Education . It is critical that the stories and examples your child uses in their essays make the connection clear and personal. A close look at the BYU admissions website emphasizes that BYU uses the aims to evaluate all areas of the application — especially the essays.

Do my child's essays help them stand out from thousands of other applicants?

This fall, BYU will receive more than 70,000 essays. Given the sheer volume, how will you ensure your child's essays stand out and are memorable for all the right reasons?

The key to this question is helping your child identify events, people and stories from their life that highlight their genuine and unique experiences. This requires vulnerability; the essays should tell compelling stories showing your child's journey, growth and transformation. These personal stories can become the heart of each essay, connecting the reader to your child in an unforgettable way.

Do my child's essays demonstrate their character, values, testimony and potential as a BYU student?

BYU has provided some direct expectations about what they want to see in your child's essay on their admissions website :

"...make sure you read the prompt and answer what's being asked. If there's something about you we should know, make sure to include it in your essay responses!"

Why does BYU want your child to share so much? Because the essays are the best chance admissions counselors have to understand and evaluate your child's character, values, testimony and potential as a BYU student.

To effectively do this, your child must address each prompt completely and deeply. Take time to identify stories and examples that showcase how they have grown and developed in these four areas and write conclusions that make a powerful connection to what BYU is looking for.

The bottom line

You can do something to improve your child's chances for acceptance to BYU. Helping your child write their best BYU application essays is the most important way you can accomplish this goal.

But you don't have to do this alone. College Essay Builder has created a comprehensive application essay course for BYU that leads your child step-by-step through the process of writing all the BYU application essays. With the help of videos, downloads, templates and examples, your child will be writing their best BYU essays faster and more effectively than any other method.

In this course your child will learn:

• How to personalize the BYU Aims and meaningfully connect them to each essay.
• How to identify and tell compelling personal stories that demonstrate their potential as a successful BYU student.
• How to approach each essay prompt to address BYU's specific expectations.
• How to start each essay to "hook" the reader.
• How to conclude each essay to make a powerful connection.
• How to write clear and concise paragraphs that answer each prompt completely and deeply.
• How to edit and revise their essays utilizing proprietary feedback guides.

The stakes are too high to not do everything you can to help your child get accepted.

And the most controllable thing you can do right now is to help them write their best BYU essays by enrolling them in the "The Complete Guide to Writing the BYU Application Essays" Pro Course today.

And for a limited time, use the coupon code KSL50 to get $50 off the full course price.

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Nursing Program Application

Welcome to the BYU College of Nursing Program Application page. From this page, you can start a new Nursing Program Application, continue one you have previously started or view a past Application. Applications must be filled out by the applicant himself/herself, whether home or abroad.

Nursing Application Orientations

The College of Nursing HIGHLY recommends you watch the tutorials below BEFORE contacting the Nursing Advisement Center with any additional questions. AFTER you’ve watched the videos below, if you have questions/concerns please call the Nursing Advisement Center at 801-422-4173.

• Application Orientation Tutorial
• Good Interview Video
• Average Interview Video
• Poor Interview Video

Click the button below to create a new Nursing Application for the next semester. This link will redirect to a BYU log-in. Start Application

Missionary Policy

Students desiring to complete a full-time LDS mission should apply to the nursing program after they have completed their missionary service. Students who defer from the program for longer than 1 semester (for any reason) will be asked to pass a competency test which may result in repeating coursework until competency has been assured.

Undergraduate Acceptance Criteria

Acceptance into the baccalaureate nursing program is based on a number of criteria including, but not limited to, academic performance, healthcare experience, assessments, interviews, other parts of the application and your service list.

Students must complete all pre-requisite courses with at least a C (a C- is not satisfactory progress). * All Independent Study/transfer classes (if taken) must have grades posted on transcript by application deadline. English as a Second Language (ESL) students have additional pre-requisites. Please see the Advisement Center for more information.

ACT or SAT or TOEFL

Student must have an ACT or SAT or TOEFL (for English as a Second Language students only) on file at BYU in order to apply.

Service List

The college of nursing is looking for an ongoing commitment to service over time (3 years) in community, school, and church service/leadership. Continuous involvement in a variety of organized service opportunities is encouraged whether the student is involved in many short-term projects, or fewer long-term projects.

Healthcare Experience

The college of nursing is looking for at least 6 months if possible but any experience will do.  It can be through volunteer or work experience. Healthcare is a wide umbrella so it doesn’t necessarily have to be a CNA. There will be a short answer essay question in relation to the experience.

Recommendations

Recommendations are online forms to be filled out by the recommender, not letters. Recommendations should come from someone who knows the applicant well and who can address the character traits identified on the form. Applicants can select individuals from the following options: organizational leader, co-worker, supervisor, coach, employer or teacher. (High school teachers often know the applicant better than a BYU professor.) The recommender should not be a parent, sibling, spouse, other family member, or close friend (i.e. roommate).

Emotional Intelligence

In an effort to move towards a more holistic application and view of the student, the application will also include emotional intelligence assessment(s).  See the application for more information.

Interviews may be conducted online via a video link or in person and may be pre-recorded or live.  If follow-up questions are needed, the student will be notified. More specific information will be in the application.

College Essay Builder

The complete guide to writing the byu application essays - pro basic.

Learn how to write COMPELLING and MEMORABLE application essays for BYU. The PRO BASIC COURSE teaches you, step-by-step, how to write all 7 Essays for BYU with videos, worksheets, charts, examples and outlines.

Interested in this course? Email us at [email protected]

When ordering, please use the STUDENT'S name and email address at checkout.

What you'll learn in the PRO BASIC COURSE

With the help of expert videos, downloads, templates and examples, you'll be writing your best BYU application essays at your own pace and on-demand anytime.

Free 15 minute phone consultation to answer your questions and get your started.

How to personalize the BYU Aims and meaningfully connect them to each essay.

How to identify and tell compelling personal stories that demonstrate your potential as a successful BYU student.

How to approach each essay prompt to address BYU’s specific expectations.

How to start each essay to “hook” the reader, and how to conclude each essay to make a powerful connection.

How to write clear and concise paragraphs that answer each prompt completely and deeply.

How to edit and revise your essays utilizing proprietary feedback guides.

REAL BYU application essay examples from "accepted" students with markup and tips.

Reviews for the PRO BASIC COURSE

“I started the course pretty close to the deadline, with about three weeks to write the essays. The course is really helpful but difficult to manage if you’re already super busy and cutting it close to the due date. I would recommend starting as early as possible so that you can really take advantage of this resource”

“The course provided me with an organized way to plan and outline my essays. This made the entire essay writing process less stressful and manageable.”

“I was utterly blown away by Susie's professionalism, knowledge, and ability to guide my son in writing his BYU application essays. The courses were helpful, thorough, and so well put together. The course materials were excellent, and made it so easy to break down this overwhelming task of writing the essays into manageable chunks.”

“Lucas found the workshops to be helpful. Talking through topics and do's and dont's helped him feel more confident about what he was writing. The course really helped him make the essays more succinct and direct. He (we) felt really good about what he turned in.”

McKenzie B.

“Susie is really good at explaining complicated topics in a simple way. She validated my ideas and increased my confidence, but also gave specific, useable feedback about how to improve. She is fun to communicate with and has a great personality. She is the best online teacher I have ever worked with. If you are unsure if this course is right for you, just go for it. You won't regret it. ”

Course curriculum

Welcome to the course (2 min).

A message from your instructor

How to use this course

Tell me a little bit about your writing.

Lesson #1: Your Plan for Essay Success (5 min)

What you will learn in this lesson

The biggest mistake you could make and how to avoid it (with worksheet download)

How to use your BYU Essay Planning Chart

Lesson #1 Summary

Lesson #2: Aims of a BYU Education (6 min)

Overview of the BYU Aims (with worksheet download)

How to complete your Aims worksheets

Lesson #2 Summary

Lesson #3: Memory Mining (8.5 min)

How to complete your Memory Mining worksheets

Finding your best stories using Memory Mining (with worksheet download)

Lesson #3 Summary

Lesson #4: Choosing stories and Aims for your essays (10 min)

Steps for choosing stories and Aims for each essay (with worksheet download)

How to complete your stories and Aims worksheets

Lesson #4 Summary

Lesson #5: Outline and Write the "Meeting Needs" Essay (11.5 min)

What you will learn in this lesson (with outline download)

How to complete the "Meeting Needs" outline

How to write your first essay draft

How to ask for and receive essay feedback (with feedback from download)

How to revise your essays using mentor feedback

Lesson #5: Summary

Meeting Needs LIVE workshop recording

BYU sample essay for Meeting Needs

Lesson #6: Outline and Write the "Spiritually Strengthening" Essay

What you should know about the "Spiritually Strengthening" essay (with outline and feedback form download)

Spiritually Strengthening LIVE workshop recording

BYU sample essay for Spiritually Strengthening

Lesson #7: Outline and Write the "Contribution - Tell Us Your Story" Essay

What you should know about the "Contribution" essay (with outline and feedback form download)

Your Contribution LIVE workshop recording

BYU sample essay Your Contribution - example A

BYU sample essay Your Contribution - example B

Lesson #8: Outline and Write the "Overcoming Defeat" Essay

What you should know about the "Overcoming Defeat" essay (with outline and feedback form download)

Overcoming Defeat LIVE workshop recording

BYU sample essay Overcoming Defeat

Lesson #9: Outline and Write the "Engaged Learning" Essay

What you should know about the "Engaged Learning" essay (with outline and feedback form download)

Engaged Learning LIVE workshop recording

BYU sample essay Engaged Learning

Lesson #10: Outline and Write the "Activities" Essays

What you should know about the 2 "Activities" essays (with outline and feedback form downloads)

Activities LIVE workshop recording

BYU sample essay Activities - example A

BYU sample essay Activities - example B

Lesson #11: Final Essay Edits and Polishing (3 min)

How to make final edits and prepare all essays for submission

Course Conclusion

Supplemental Revision Help & Resources

Tips for overcoming writer's block

How to write impactful beginnings and endings

How to be clear and concise in your writing

How to edit essays for spelling and grammar

BYU Essay Progress Tracker

About this course

• 11 Lessons + Supplemental Resources
• 46 minutes of video content

You can complete all of the video and written instructions within a week if you're motivated. However, to complete all of the worksheets, and give yourself time to get feedback on your essays, we recommend a minimum of two to three weeks.

This course teaches you step-by-step how to write each element of every application essay for BYU quickly and correctly. By the time you are done with the basic worksheets, the essays almost write themselves.

BYU Application essays are NOT like any other essay you have written in the past. Susie has converted 15 years of helping students write successful college essays into proprietary templates, guides, and examples that ensure you meet or exceed BYU's specific and unique essay requirements.

This course does come with an initial 15 minute live consultation to get your started. You are also welcome to send messages to your coach anytime for feedback and suggestions an join in student group discussions. However regular weekly coaching is only available in the PRO PLUS and 1:1 COACHING courses.

Of course we cannot guarantee that anyone who takes this course will be accepted into BYU. If, however, you are not satisfied with the course, we are happy to provide you a full refund by emailing [email protected] within 15 days of the original purchase date.

Priority Deadline is November 1st.

Get expert essay help NOW. Our online application essay coaching classes will fast track your success.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The content, images, or other materials contained in this website and online courses are the works of College Essay Builder™. They do not represent BYU and are NOT BYU sponsored. Participation in any education offered by College Essay Builder does not guarantee acceptance to BYU.